What hatha yoga is
Hatha is the broad family most yoga in Australia comes from. In a class called hatha you usually move into a posture, hold it for a few breaths, then come out and rest before the next. There is often some breathing practice and a rest at the end. Some studios teach an alignment-focused style with plenty of props; ask how the class on the timetable runs.
Gentle classes
A gentle class takes the same approach more slowly, with more support and more time on a chair, the wall or the floor. Studios run them for people coming back to exercise, people who prefer a quieter class and older adults. AusPlay found 3.2% of Australians aged 65 and over did yoga in 2025 (AusPlay 2025 national data tables), so daytime gentle classes are worth asking about wherever you live.
Where gentle classes meet
Not every class is in a studio. Councils hire out halls for fitness classes: in Melbourne, Bayside City Council lists fitness classes among the uses of its halls (Bayside City Council), and community classes in every city use rooms like these. Ask the studio where its class meets and whether there are steps, parking or a lift. Then send a request.
Hatha and Gentle Yoga Classes: questions
What is the difference between hatha and vinyasa?
In hatha you usually hold a posture, then rest. In vinyasa you move from one posture to the next in time with the breath. See vinyasa and flow yoga.
Can I do a gentle class on a chair?
Some studios run chair-based classes. Say so in your request and we pass it on.
Is a gentle class right for me?
The studio can tell you which class suits your experience. If you have a health condition or an injury, ask your doctor or physiotherapist before you start and tell the teacher.